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Four handset power amplifier (PA) suppliers below the top three gained share in 2005, according to findings in the recent Strategy Analytics report, "Anadigics, Avago, Mitsubishi and TriQuint Double PA Share in Handsets." The report examines the changing fortunes and positioning of firms that supply PAs for cellular terminals.

According to this report, second-tier suppliers, Anadigics, Avago, Mitsubishi and TriQuint, grew by concentrating on innovations for better PA efficiency and smaller size, by focusing on growing niche markets and partnering with leading transceiver suppliers, such as Infineon and Qualcomm. One of the emerging segments targeted by the four firms, W-CDMA, grew to more than 45 million handset manufactured in 2005.

According to Asif Anwar, director of the Gallium Arsenide and Compound Semiconductor service at Strategy Analytics, "The market for power amplifiers for cellular terminals grew 15 percent to an estimated $1.5 B in 2005, as handset shipments topped 800 million units. Most PA suppliers experienced strong sales growth last year, but only a few actually gained share."

"A big challenge facing suppliers is that handset makers want front-end modules that support more bands, air interfaces and architectures," added Chris Taylor, director of the RF and Wireless Component service. "This favors the larger PA suppliers with the most development resources in the longer term."